phin

lled of cloying

ff the hands of our syndicate and hidden under pristine silk glove

im that used to make me feel safe. Once, his touch had bee

onight, Tesoro," he m

velvet dragged over gravel. It was the

u, Dante,

d at him, I knew I would retch r

there was

he subtle creams and blacks the wives were expected to wear. She stood near the bar, holding cour

istant tonight. She wa

to breathe. I needed to scrub the feeling of Dante'

my hands, th

ead, she leaned against the marble counter, crossi

ou," she said. She didn't

refusing to give her the

ou an hour ago?" I asked, turning to face her.

he professional slipped, revealing th

cold. You're boring. You're just a contract to him. A merger

ice deadly steady. "I am his wife. I am the moth

aster than

forward an

t a hard slap, but the insult burned hotter than the pain. A

think.

ely. I grabbed her by the hair with a fist full o

cracked. S

od over her, breathing hard, my hand raised to strik

aphi

ice was a

posing darkness. His eyes went from me to Valeria, who

leria wailed, playing the vi

looked

ncern for his wife. There was only annoyan

said, his tone dismi

her. He didn't pull his gun. He didn't dem

e sweeping over my dishe

, Seraphina. Y

d and wa

d to ash. He hadn't just cheated on me. He had stripped me o